Infants and other incontinent individuals wear absorbency systems such as disposable absorbent articles to receive and contain urine and other body exudates. Disposable absorbent articles function both to contain the discharged materials and to isolate these materials from the body of the wearer and from the wearer's garments and bed clothing.
While previously known disposable absorbent articles do perform their intended function, each conventional design suffers from certain deficiencies in one or more of absorbency of body fluids, protection of the wearer's garments from soiling, the wearers comfort, and the wearer's skin health.
A typical disposable absorbent article comprises an absorbent element interposed between a fluid pervious body contacting element and a fluid impervious protective barrier. The absorbent element (sometimes called an absorbent core) is intended to receive and contain urine and other body exudates. The body contacting element (sometimes called a topsheet) is intended to provide comfortable contact with body surfaces while allowing free passage of fluids therethrough into the absorbent element. The protective barrier (sometimes called a backsheet) is intended to prevent urine and other body exudates from striking through the disposable absorbent article and soiling the wearer's garments.
Although the protective barrier or backsheet is highly effective in preventing strike through and thus helps contain the liquid within the disposable absorbent article, it occludes the wearer's skin making the disposable absorbent article uncomfortable to wear which may lead to certain skin health problems. To further aggravate this problem, prior art disposable absorbent articles are relatively large in relation to the size of the wearer they are intended to fit. Such designs were thought to be desirable because consumers showed a preference for larger disposable absorbent articles in view of their reduced tendency to leak. While larger disposable absorbent articles may have a reduced tendency to leak, thereby protecting the wearer's garments and bed clothing from soiling, they also negatively impact the wearer's comfort and skin health by covering and occluding more of the wearer's skin. Occlusion of the wearer's skin by the protective barrier or backsheet traps urine and other bodily fluids against the wearer's skin. Moisture trapped against the skin causes the skin to become hydrated, thereby compromising the skin's health. Excess hydration of the skin may lead to irritation, rashes, and other related skin health problems.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a disposable absorbent article which provides improved wearer comfort.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide a disposable absorbent article which provides improved skin health for the wearer.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide a disposable absorbent article which substantially reduces the amount of the wearer's skin which is covered and occluded by the disposable diaper.
These and other objects of the present invention will be more readily apparent when considered in reference to the following description and when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.